Salvage
by PseudoSoapScribe
Summary: After witnessing Squall in an act of betrayal, Cloud runs off to an unknown destination, abandoning his young son and step-daughter in the process. Meanwhile Sora and Roxas, Cloud's brothers under his charge, face their own trials and tribulations that come with being teenagers in a family torn apart. Yaoi/mpreg; Main Cloud/Squall; Eventual Axel/Roxas, Riku/Sora & more
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi guys! Hope everyone's having a good weekend so far! Since you're here, I hope that means you're in the mood for some soapy drama, romance, and above all, YAOI! A few things I'd like to say before you begin; if you're here from the old fanfic, _Plowed_, then you already know what's going on. For new readers, please note that this is a semi-reboot, semi-sequel to another fanfic of mine. It continues where the old one leaves off, but I've made it so that you don't have to read the other fanfic (which was a bit of a drag, even to me!). There will be references to things that happened in the past that will be explained so even if you haven't read _Plowed _it should (hopefully) make sense.**

**As in the description, the main pair is Cloud/Squall; Riku/Sora and Axel/Roxas coming into focus as the story progresses. There is also past Zack/Cloud, past Irvine/Squall, and past Sephiroth/Cloud (which will become important later on). There are others but you'll just have to read to find out! Terra will eventually make an appearance as well C: What can I say? I love the brunet bishies!**

Now without further ado... enjoy!

"_So what made you come back?" _

Seifer's voice...

"_Nothin'. Do I need a reason to hang out with you?"_

And mine...

"_Well, yeah, considering you don't seem very fond of me... Other than..."_

He's right... we've made out, and I like it... but I don't like _him_...

"_I was just... bored."_

Lying through my teeth. I was more like... pissed off...

"_Wanna do something fun? ...Relax, blondie. It won't involve vandalizing the losers' houses this time."_

Something... fun?

* * *

Shifting the weight of his daughter to free up one arm, Squall impatiently knocked at Zack's apartment door. The well-being of his son and whereabouts of his fiance were the brunet's only concern at the moment. He could care less about feigning camaraderie towards Cloud's ex-boyfriend.

"Where's Denzel?" Squall demanded as soon as the door opened.

"Well hello to you too," Zack greeted back in annoyance. Finding himself at the receiving end of an icy glare, he let out a defeated sigh, stepping aside to allow Squall into his apartment. "Your kid's asleep in the guest room," he directed.

"How is he? Is he alright?"

"He's perfectly fine, Squall. I think I'm _pretty_ capable of handling one little kid."

Upon entering Zack's living room, for the tiniest fraction of a moment, Squall let the initial reason why he'd come to Zack's apartment slip his mind. The fact that there was another visitor in the room took him by surprise.

Or perhaps more-so, it was the fact that he recognized _who_ the visitor was.

"_Lea_?" He could hardly believe it, but there he was, as fiery red-headed as he remembered him, sitting casually on Zack's sofa.

"Right... Forgot to mention it when you phoned me; I have another guest over," Zack pointed out, too late for it to matter now.

"It's Axel, by the way," the red-head corrected, annoyance clear in his tone. He crossed his legs, staying put in his seat. "Not that _you_ would know that, _Leon_."

Squall eyed him curiously, almost instantly figuring out where the redhead's apparent annoyance stemmed from; it was almost like his fateful reunion with Cloud all over again. He sensed a similar type of resentment from Axel, perhaps not at the same level as Cloud's– he had only been friends with _Lea_, after all– but when Squall disappeared without so much as a word, it had been a slap in the face to the redhead all the same.

"Axel..." Squall repeated, testing out the name. "Of course..." He trailed off, vaguely recalling that detail being brought up by Irvine some time ago. "You changed your name."

"Yeah... But never mind that now... I hear that was your kid I met earlier," Axel said, setting aside the bitter feelings. There was no point in holding on to them now, he thought. He had already established that he couldn't really hold it against Squall for abandoning their friendship. "Cloud's kid," he added briefly.

"Yeah... That's... that's our Denzel..."

"Call me crazy, but, uh... that little girl in your arms couldn't be Cloud's too, could she? She doesn't look a thing like him."

Cissnei had been gawking at the unfamiliar, bright-haired man from her father's arms. Now that his attention was on her, the eleven-month-old buried her face shyly into the crook of her father's neck.

"No, you're right. She's not. Cissnei is... She's..." Squall was hesitant to admit it. "She's Irvine's."

'_So... _she's_ the one he was talking about..._' Axel thought to himself, referring to one of his friends. He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Of all people... Never thought you'd be the first to end up saddled with kids. Zack maybe, but not you..."

"Hey, I'm right here!" Zack let out, never one to keep silent when being teased.

Squall let out a nervous chuckle, although he was glad Axel didn't question the matter further. "I know, I never thought of myself as the type either... but... I guess you just never really know until it happens..."

"Guess not," Axel agreed in retrospect.

The whole encounter was becoming very uncomfortably awkward for Squall; seeing his old high school friend in the midst of what could possibly be the end of his relationship with his son's father. He needed to get out of it as quickly and discreetly as possible.

"Axel... it's great that we got to see each other again and all, but... why don't we catch up some other time? I really need to get Denzel and Cissnei back home."

"Sure, you do whatever you need to do, don't get held up on my account... But you better mean it about keeping in touch, alright? Zell and Reno'll be pretty stoked to hear from you again."

"Yeah, of course..."

With that, Squall headed over to the guest room, Zack following close behind.

"Are you gonna tell me what's going on?" Zack asked as they reached the bedrooms.

Squall frowned, reverting back to his earlier mood. "There's nothing to tell..." he said, gently pushing open the door to the room where his son was asleep.

"Bull_shit, _Squall. I know something's up," Zack whispered, following Squall into the dimly lit room. "Cloud... Where is he? He came here looking like a zombie... he barely said a word to me."

Squall completely ignored Zack, striding over to Denzel's bedside. He checked the little boy's forehead for any signs of a fever.

Cissnei cocked her head to the side looking down at her brother. "Den-den?"

Squall let out a small sigh of relief. "He's fine now, Cissy. I wish I didn't have to wake him up, but... we have to get going."

"He doesn't _have_ to go... he can stay here. I'll take care of him. His father brought him over here for a reason and I'm sure as hell he's not gonna be happy if he comes back here and finds that his little boy's gone."

Squall stood his ground, not listening to anything the raven-haired man had to say. "Denzel..."

"Daddy?" Denzel murmured softly as he came back into consciousness.

"Let's get you home."

* * *

"Figures no one would be home. Not even Roxas..." Sora shook his head at the empty house. As he climbed up to his room to call it a night, he wasn't sure who he was more disappointed with tonight; his family, or his so-called best friend. Either way, it hurt to feel like he'd been dismissed from the lives of the people he loved most.

* * *

"Your sister asleep, Denz?" Squall surveyed his children through the rear-view mirror of his car as he drove towards the city's highway.

"Yeah..." the little boy replied with a sigh of boredom.

"You okay? I know it's been... kind of a crazy day... Are you hungry? There's a convenience store up ahead. How about a snack for the ride home?" Squall was taking every precaution to avoid bringing up the subject of the boy's father. He didn't know where to begin explaining things to Denzel.

Denzel took a moment to think it over. "Okay. Can I have chocolate milk and cookies?"

Somehow, hearing Denzel's cheerful request only served to deepen Squall's guilt. His heart sank knowing it was only a matter of time before his son would realize his father was gone.

"Coming right up."

* * *

_Something... fun..?_

The heat was stifling, but Roxas would allow himself to bear it for a little while longer. He needed to understand.

The more Roxas thought about it, details in the fragmented memories of his dream, or nightmare, as it seemed, were becoming clearer. The crack in the wall was paralleled from one he saw in his everyday life, subconsciously creating the one in his dream. He remembered the real one led to a playground, not to a forest or an abandoned mansion.

The events of his dream, however, where plenty more difficult to discern from reality.

Seifer had definitely suggested they go 'have fun' elsewhere last night. It was last night, Roxas knew, because it was just before daybreak now. And that elsewhere was right here, in the older boy's own bedroom.

_'That's right,'_ Roxas thought. _'Last night... we came here. I remember being pissed off at Squall... He hurt my brother. He cheated on him... And Seifer was... _surprisingly_ comforting... In his own way. He offered me some pot to blow off steam...' _

Roxas sighed, disappointed in himself. "Some good _that_ did," he said to himself out loud, rolling his eyes._ 'I must have ended up smoking the entire thing, if not more... I can still feel it in my system... But what's worse is that... I lost control of myself...'_

Now Roxas was totally aware of what had landed him in his current position, what that obscure nightmare was _really_ about.

_'I let it go too far...'_

Seifer's larger body emitted so much warmth, being cramped in a twin sized bed with the smaller blonde. Roxas knew just how far they'd gone, but he didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about how he still felt Seifer's bodily fluids slipping against his sore inner flesh, how even his _own_ felt disgusting slathered on his skin.

_'He didn't force me into anything...' _Roxas shook his head, beginning to move stealthily out of bed so as to not awaken his bedmate._ 'No. Not at all. I practically begged him to touch me. I wanted him to do it... I wanted to know what it felt like...'_

* * *

"Zack..?"

"Sorry man... I really wish I was that person for you."

Cloud shot up, fully awake now, immediately regretting it after doing so. His head throbbed, heart beating so fast it hurt. He looked around the unfamiliar surrounding.

"Where... where the hell am I?" he asked himself, a second later acknowledging the stranger sitting in front of him.

Their eyes clicked.

"You... obviously don't remember anything from last night. I should reintroduce myself, now that you're aware... more or less. My name's Firion. You're in my apartment."

Cloud heard what the man said, but none of it had honestly registered. He slowly laid his head back down on the throw pillow of the sofa he was on, covering his face with his palms. This had to be a dream.

"I made some coffee for you if you want it... It's supposed to help. I know there's no real remedy for a hangover, but it's the only thing I could come up with."

It all felt like a hallucination to the blonde. This man in front of him couldn't be real. He uncovered one eye to look at him. Why did the lights have to be so bright?

Firion was sitting on the coffee table of his living room, holding out a mug for Cloud to take.

Cloud uncovered his other eye, then brought himself up to a sitting position. He accepted the beverage that was offered to him with a confused look on his face, trying to figure out how he'd ended up here in the first place. Cloud studied the man before him as if he was looking at a map of an area he'd never been to before.

Firion was a young, stalwart man, with a gentle face and friendly eyes; his characteristics were reminiscent of someone very familiar to the blonde.

"I'm sorry," Cloud started, amazed that he'd found his voice again, however rough it sounded. "Who are you?"

"Firion... You, uh, you were calling me Zack all night... before you passed out I mean. I take it... he's someone special to you..." Firion took something out of the breast pocket of his button up shirt. "I think this belongs to you," he said, holding out a small object.

Cloud eyed the glimmering object being held delicately between the stranger's fingertips, realization dawning on him as he got a better look at it. "That's... my engagement ring."

"Oh, is that it? ...Zack's you're fiance?"

"No. No, that's not it."

Before Cloud could halt it, his recollection was being flooded by the events of the previous day. His headache seemed to increase tenfold at that point.

"...Sorry, I'm... I'm not myself right now. I haven't even told you my name. I'm Cloud... if it means anything to you... I'm not some... crazy alcoholic, I swear... Last night was just... difficult."

"That's alright, Cloud. I understand..." Firion stood up, leaving the ring on the table for Cloud's taking. "I know how things can get... out of hand sometimes..."

Cloud kept a steady gaze on the man as he paced over to his kitchenette.

"Before you left the bar yesterday, you tipped the bartender with your ring... He came over to the table where I was sitting with my friends and told us about it... Started joking about how much he could get for it if he conned an amateur moogle... But after he got a few laughs out of us, he said he couldn't bring himself to keep it. He was the only one tending the bar, and I was the only one of my friends who wasn't drinking, so he asked me to return it to you. Then, when I found you..." Firion seemed to get nervous at this point. He swallowed before continuing. "You were... getting on your bike..."

"I... tried to ride...?" The severity of the danger Cloud had put himself in was beginning to sink in. He never thought he would ever drink himself to a point where he could no longer rely on his own judgment.

"I just... wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I'd have let you ride that bike."

"Thank you... Firion. I know I must sound really stupid right now. I mean... you... literally saved my life, and... that's all I can say... I'm so sorry. You really shouldn't have troubled yourself over it... but, I'm grateful that you did."

"Cloud... I know everyone hits a rough patch at some point in their life. Some people just deal with it better than others."

* * *

The urge to urinate awoke Sora earlier than usual. He was mumbling to himself on his way to the bathroom how he hated waking up just to pee, especially on a day he didn't have to get up for school, when the bathroom door suddenly swung open, barely a second before he reached it.

Sora let out a small cry of surprise.

"Shhh! Damn it, Sora!" Roxas came out of the bathroom apparently having just showered.

"Why were the lights off?! I didn't think anyone was in there."

"I just turned them off, genius. Gods, keep your voice down, it's too early to listen to your whining."

"What's the matter with you? Why are you showering at six in the morning on a Saturday? Where were you last night? Actually, where was _everybody_ last night?"

"Like I know... Why don't you ask _Squall_?" Roxas spat out the name full of contempt. It didn't suit a boy his age, much less his personality. "I'm sure he'll be happy to explain away the mess he started. I'd love to hear the lies and excuses he uses on you."

"What're you talking about?"

"Figure it out yourself. I'm going to bed."

Sora watched his brother brush passed him, his need to pee seeming less urgent. "You," Sora started, before his brother cut him off by shutting his bedroom door, "just got up..." he finished softly.

Roxas had made a complete one-eighty from when Sora saw him last, and his hateful feelings towards Squall unnerved him.

_'What was that all about?'_

* * *

After only a short while, Sora gave up his attempt for a few more hours of sleep. His run-in with his younger brother that morning left him with the impression that his family's preoccupations last night were more serious than he initially believed. This way at least, it would be easier to forgive them for forgetting about his school performance.

Nevertheless, Sora had to wonder if his younger brother wasn't blowing things out of proportion; it was no secret how Roxas's attitude had changed towards their brother's fiance after finding out about his past.

'_But... say Roxas _does_ have a legitimate reason to be mad at Squall?_' Sora thought.

Since things had come out into the open the year prior, Squall hadn't given the Strife boys a reason to judge him by his seedy history. Roxas had even regained some respect for Squall; this was definitely unusual.

Sora couldn't wait for the answers to come to him, deciding on taking his younger brother's advice to go to the source directly. He looked over at his clock, the glowing digits signaling it was almost time for Squall and Cloud to get up and start their day.

Once out of bed, Sora crept over to the master bedroom, surprised to see the door was slightly ajar. He took the liberty of peeking in, surveying the room. Its usual occupants were absent, and it looked like they had been so for the entire night. The bed was still neatly made, as it was Cloud's habit to do so every morning.

Becoming more curious, Sora went inside the room, looking into the adjacent nursery where his step-niece was still sound asleep.

"Weird..." he whispered to himself. '_Cissy's usually up at the crack of dawn_.'

Sora checked up on his nephew next, finding him looking just as peaceful as Cissnei.

It was a relief to Sora knowing that his niece and nephew had been brought home since last night, but it still left him wondering why Squall and Cloud wouldn't be there as well.

Sora couldn't give up the possibility that they were perhaps somewhere else in the house.

As he stepped, at last, into the living room, the radiant morning sun filtering in through the window caught the brunet boy's attention. Looking at the shining orb over the town's raised rail system, it gave the impression that it was going to be a beautiful end of summer day. After a moment's gaze, Sora looked back down at the curb, noticing Squall's car parked in its usual spot, but not a sign of Cloud's gleaming motorcycle within view.

Then, out of the corner of his vision, a figure appeared sitting on their front doorstep. Sora immediately went over to investigate.

The hinges squeaked as the brunet boy opened the front door, startling the culprit out of his apparent daze.

"Squall! Hey... What're you," Sora paused as he looked down at the cement step,"...doing?" he finished, although, judging by the heap of ash and extinguished cigarettes, the question had already been answered. Now the question was, why?

Squall looked back at the teen, a half-consumed cigarette between his fingers. "Unbelievable... isn't it?" The words came out in a sting of self-reproach.

Sora frowned at him in confusion.

Squall's gaze dismissed itself from the boy, fixing itself at a point in the distance. "I haven't had a single smoke in as many years as Denzel's been alive... Six years..." Squall put the cigarette in his lips for drag. "Fucking unbelievable..."

"Are you... okay?" Sora brushed away the pile of ash and cigarette butts with his bare foot, taking a seat next to the older brunet.

"I stopped at a convenience store to get Denzel a snack... But I... I couldn't fight the urge... Not after everything..."

"After everything? _What _exactly is everything?" Sora's eyes sought to make contact with Squall's. He was concerned; the older brunet's level of distress was highly unusual. "What happened? And... where's Cloud?"

Squall's eyes finally met the teen's. "Sora... I don't know if... your brother can forgive me..."

Sora's eyes widened, but his expression softened almost immediately. He allowed Squall to elaborate.

"Denzel woke up sick yesterday... He had a fever, chills... He was coughing and sneezing. It looked like.. he'd be out for few days. And you know Cissnei just got over a cold.. a bad one. So I told Cloud I would take her to stay at Irvine's for a few of days until Denzel got better. I didn't want her getting sick again. For whatever reason, Cloud wasn't thrilled about it, I mean, he even argued _against_ it for a minute... but I didn't think it was that big a deal, Irvine was due his time soon anyway. So I took Cissnei and left. He was supposed to stay behind to look after Denzel until I came back... but... apparently, he decided to follow me to Traverse Town."

"He left Denzel alone? He'd never–" Sora thought this sounded very unlike his older brother.

"He did, Sora. It didn't help that Irvine was just..." Squall scoffed, rolling his eyes, remembering how immaturely the auburn haired man had acted. And how stupid he'd been to play right into Irvine's game. "Sora... Irvine kissed me... and I didn't do anything to stop him," the brunet admitted at last.

Sora stood up silently, making a sharp about-face, ready to head back inside the house.

Squall caught the teen's arm before he could take another step, "Wait. Hear me out, Sora... Please."

Sora contemplated it for a moment, remembering what his younger brother had said. He decided he needed to hear it for himself, staying put and giving the older brunet a chance to explain himself.

"You need to understand... It.. it wasn't intentional. I didn't go out of my way, lying, or making excuses to go all the way to Traverse town and fool around with my ex. He kissed me out of a misunderstanding, and I... I just lost myself in the moment. It was as simple as that. But Cloud... He didn't have to react the way that he did. I was just about to break the kiss when he came up behind Irvine and took a swing at his head with his sword."

Hearing that, Sora's demeanor changed immediately. "What?! Was he okay?" It was incredible to think of his brother behaving in such a violent manner towards another person.

"It knocked him unconscious for minute but... he's fine now. He has a mild concussion... I'm not worried about him anymore. It's Cloud I'm worried about. He ran off to who knows where... All I know is that he came back here to get Denzel, then went to Hollow Bastion and dropped him off at Zack's place."

Sora sat back down, reflecting on everything he'd just been told. He tried to sort out his feelings on the matter; he wasn't angry at Squall like his younger brother was. Or, perhaps he just felt like he should be angrier. He needed to be sure of one thing first.

"Squall..." Sora piped up, after a good long minute. "Do you think Cloud's alright?"

"He has to be Sora... If he isn't..." Squall shut his eyes, the emotion becoming too difficult to contain.

* * *

"Look, I have to repay you somehow... If you won't take money, just... let me know whenever you need a favor, anything at all–"

"Come on, Cloud. You're making this more awkward for me than it already is... Honestly... I didn't save you're butt so you'd give me something in return. I did it because, it was the right thing to do."

"Alright... I understand. If only there were more people like you in the world, right?"

Firion let out a small laugh. "Right."

"Here's my number anyway, just in case you change your mind." Cloud was feeling more like himself and less hungover after coffee and breakfast with his new acquaintance.

"Thanks. Well... maybe after the trouble you've given me over it, I _will_ take you up on the offer."

Cloud showed his amusement with a small smile. He felt almost nostalgic, as if this man had been a friend he'd lost touch with a long time ago.

Firion arrived at the spot where the gleaming motorcycle was still stationed. "Is this the one?"

"Yeah... You've got a good memory. Thanks again, Firion... I really appreciate everything you did for me. No, more than that, I'm... really grateful," Cloud said before opening the car door.

"Hey, Cloud... I don't know exactly what went down with you and your fiance... but if you were willing to throw away your engagement... and subsequently your _marriage_ over it... I'm assuming it must have been too terrible a betrayal on their part. Just remember... forgiveness goes a long way... especially for the injured party..."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." Cloud stepped out of Firion's car, jumping right onto his Fenrir.

Firion finally parted ways with the blonde, feeling only the joy and fulfillment that came along with helping someone.

As Cloud rode off to an unknown destination, he pondered over Firion's advice, thinking it had been pure and heartfelt, albeit very naïve.

Perhaps it was too soon to think about forgiveness and how it might help "heal" him. Right now, all Cloud wanted was to make Squall regret ever having fallen for Irvine.

* * *

"Where's dad?"

It was the question Squall had been dreading to hear. He knew it was only a matter of time, and it came no later than breakfast time. He had thought of a million ways to explain what had happened to his six-year-old son, but when the time came he opted for the easy route.

"Remember how he dropped you off at his friend's place yesterday?"

Denzel nodded.

"Well, he got called for a job out of town while I was... at Irvine's. He told me he might be away the whole weekend so he's staying at a hotel." Squall wished at least half of that had been true.

"Oh... but I didn't even get to tell him goodbye or give him a hug and kiss. I was really sleepy yesterday 'cause of the cold medicine. Why didn't he tell me he was leaving? Daddy, I miss him."

"I know, Denz... it was all just very short notice. But, he'll be back before we know it, okay?"

All the while, Sora sat by, listening as Squall deliberately lied to his son. With no sign of his older brother, Sora was becoming hard pressed to keep his neutrality towards the situation.

**Not much progress has been made from where I left off... but I hope I'm off to a good start! Tell me what you think... See you next time :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! Bet you weren't expecting me back so soon! Wahoo! I finished this in a little over a week! I think this is about the right length for a chapter, don't you? :D I did my best to send individual thank you's and replies to everyone who has read so far (there were some I couldn't PM), so I want to say it collectively, thanks to everyone for your continued support! This is for you guys! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

'_How did I let it happen?'_

Roxas closed his eyes, a scene that seemed more like a dream than a memory presenting itself in his mind.

He was willingly undoing Seifer's pants, sliding them down, underwear and all, to expose the older boy's erect member.

Roxas opened his eyes again, the thought of it unbearable. He wanted to erase it from his mind. But no matter how hard he tried, every time he closed his eyes, a fragment of that night came to him like a dream.

Even if he could erase it from his mind, Roxas thought, his body had its own indication of what had occurred. He could barely sit up, let alone walk without feeling the awful ache deep inside him.

He lay on his bed for the rest of the day, ignoring the knocks that came and went at his door.

* * *

"Of course I'll pay you. I just need you to give me a call back if a Cloud Strife checks into your hotel. Yes, that's it. Thank you." Squall ended the phone call, checking the hotel off of his list.

Out of leads on Cloud's whereabouts, he'd spent the morning calling hotels and even motels around the area, bribing the concierge to give him information on whether his fiancé was staying at their establishment.

In the middle of dialing the next phone number on his list, Squall heard footfalls coming down the stairs. Thinking it might be Roxas finally out of his room, Squall set down what he was doing to investigate. To his disappointment, it was only Sora.

"Hey… are you going somewhere?" Squall asked cautiously. He didn't want to sound too upset. He was afraid Sora might snap and lash out at him, the same way Roxas had. Even so, he still needed to be guardian to the boys while their brother was out, no matter how much they might loathe him at the moment.

Sora headed towards the front door. "I have stuff I need to do," he answered curtly.

With that, Sora shrugged off the older brunet, leaving the residence. Squall wanted to call after him, demand to know _where_ he was going, but he knew he couldn't. He'd end up making things worse between them, and that was the last thing he wanted.

* * *

Roxas had fallen into a deep restful sleep, waking only after dusk had fallen over Twilight Town. When he felt as if his stomach could cave in at any moment, he left the confines of his bedroom in search of nourishment. He was glad he didn't run into anyone on his way to the kitchen, although after he'd loaded himself with whatever was in the refrigerator, he found out that it was because he was alone in the house once again.

'_Squall must be out searching for Cloud… and Sora's probably right there with him. Tch. That loser. I wish he'd just get a fucking clue already. Whatever. They're never gonna find him that way.'_

The teen started thinking realistically about where his eldest brother might have disappeared to. He started with the last person he knew who had seen him.

Zack was Cloud's ex, in several ways. He was his ex-best friend, his ex-_boyfriend_… And it seemed to Roxas, the man still had feelings for the blonde, as he had witnessed not-so-long ago when Zack had given his brother a small, unreciprocated kiss. There was a lot of potential there that Roxas saw for the raven-haired man to withhold Cloud's whereabouts, maybe even house him until Cloud was ready to face Squall.

'_Even if Cloud isn't staying with him, I'm sure he would've told Zack _something_.'_

Roxas made up his mind, deciding the only way he would know for sure was to go and see the man for himself.

* * *

Roxas had rested long enough that his body had somewhat returned back to a state of normalcy. At least, it didn't hurt to walk as much anymore, he thought. He was finally off the long train ride to Hollow Bastion, heading to place he and his brothers had temporarily called home before moving out of Hallow Bastion for good.

* * *

_'This is it…'_

Roxas stood frozen in front of Zack's apartment door.

'_Shit… What am I doing? Why did I come all the way over here? I should've just called. I get so nervous around him… Fuck… Sora was right. I really do like Zack. I can't just show up here unannounced!'_

After a minute of debating, Roxas worked up the courage to knock on the door. He'd come this far after all.

He knocked more heavily a second time and this time, he heard a shuffle of footfalls coming towards the door. His heart was racing.

Roxas was not expecting to see a tall, lanky redheaded man when the door finally swung open, a cool voice greeting his ears.

"If I'd known Zack had cute blondes coming to his door at odd hours of the night, I woulda asked to move in with him," the man said, grinning with a wildly handsome look on his face.

* * *

**Ooh, how'll this all play out? You'll see next time! In the meantime, please let me know how you feel about this fic! :3 **


	3. Chapter 3

**New year, new chapter! Thanks to you guys, this story is still going strong! Thank you for your patience and please enjoy!  
**

"Sora?"

"Riku! I'm _so_ happy you picked up!"

"Same here… I'm glad you called."

"Yeah, about that… I wanted to say I'm sorry… sorry for being such a drama queen yesterday."

"No kidding. You were quite literally a drama queen," Riku said coolly, referring to Sora's school play their whole argument had started over.

Sora sensed the smirk on his best friend's face through the cell phone.

"Seriously though, Sora... _I'm_ really the one that should be apologizing. That was kind of douchebag move on my part."

"Kind of?"

"Okay, it was a total douchebag move."

Sora heard Riku sigh loudly on the other end.

"Things didn't go quite so well with Kairi at the movies after that. I felt too guilty, you know? I couldn't stop thinking about how much I'd hurt your feelings."

"Really? Riku… I should've never threatened to end our friendship like that—"

"Sora… Kairi dumped me."

"What?"

"Yeah… she… she wanted to know what was bothering me. So I told her… and she said it spoke a lot about my character. She told me I was shallow and self-centered…"

"Harsh… Sorry about that Riku…" Sora said, knowing deep down he wasn't sorry at all; this was the opportunity his heart had been waiting for all along.

"Nah, don't be… I had it coming. I think she's right Sora… I've only been after her for her looks… you can attest to that."

"Hm… I remember the first time you told me about her. That was pretty sad… 'It's hard not to look when it's all right there'? I still have that IM conversation saved!"

"Haha! Yeah… I dunno, Sora… what am I gonna do with myself?"

"Well, if it's any consolation… Maybe hanging out with me tonight will cheer you up?"

"Tonight? Wouldn't Cloud have a fit if he knew you were hanging out with _me_?"

"He won't find out… because he's not around," Sora said hesitantly. "He got in a fight with his fiancé… I don't know what's gonna happen between them… I just, rather not be at home right now."

"That bad, huh? If you wanna talk about it, or not… I'm here for you Sora."

"Thanks… let's meet up. Can you pick me up?"

"Sure, of course. I'll be at Twilight town within the hour."

"Great! Don't pick me up at home… Squall's still here… Let's meet at Station Plaza."

"Alright. See you soon."

* * *

After Sora had quietly left his residence, surprised at how easily he had averted Squall, he awaited the arrival of his friend patiently in the plaza where the clock tower of Twilight Town loomed above.

Resting his elbows on the concrete parapet, Sora used one hand to prop up his head, gazing at the town below. In a way, Sora was a little nervous to see his old friend in person after so long.

He'd known Riku since childhood, lived in the same house as him for almost a year (house being used quite loosely as Riku resided in a mansion), until it finally came out that Sephiroth had used his youngest brother in order to get to Cloud. After that, Cloud had vowed to keep his family away from Sephiroth, even if that meant Sora could no longer see his best friend. Cloud still placed part of the blame on the Riku for what had transpired.

'It's been too long…' Sora counted the months since he'd last seen Riku.

* * *

"If I'd known Zack had cute blondes coming to his door at odd hours of the night, I woulda asked to move in with him."

"I-I'm sorry… I must have the wrong place," Roxas managed to utter after a couple of seconds of gawking at the red-head. "Wait… you said Zack?"

"Yeah, I'm guessing he's the one you're looking for," Axel answered. "He just sort of rushed outta here a little while ago… He said he'd be back quick, so you're welcome to stay and wait for him."

Roxas wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to stay alone in a place with a guy who had just blatantly hit on him, friend of Zack's or not.

'_Well, I came here for answers… No sense in backing out now,'_ he decided inwardly.

"Sure… do you know how soon he'll be back?" Roxas asked stepping inside the apartment.

"I can't say for sure. He didn't say why he was going out… it was pretty weird actually, even for him. I'm Axel by the way, don't forget it."

This guy was pretty strange himself, Roxas thought. "I'm Roxas… Strife."

"Strife? As in, you're related to Cloud Strife?"

"Yeah, you know my brother?"

"Ha! That'd be an understatement. Okay, I don't really _know_ know him, but I know Squall who was his high school sweetheart after Cloud dumped Zack, who was my brother Reno's friend who was also friends with Zell, who's my current partner in crime who also happens to know that weird cowboy guy who apparently knocked up Squall after Squall got knocked up by Cloud."

"Uh… yeah…"

"We… all went to the same school," Axel added, attempting to make it seem less convoluted, although it didn't work. "Anyway, why don't you take a seat… Can I get you anything?"

"I'm good, thanks." Roxas took a seat on the couch while Axel seated himself on the arm. "So… are you staying with Zack?"

"Just for the weekend. I'm doing some work on a friend of ours… a chest piece."

Roxas had a confused look on his face.

Axel noticed and started to elaborate. "A tattoo… I'm a tattoo artist."

Well that explained the markings on the man's face, Roxas thought.

"My friend Zell and I own a tattoo parlor over in Nox city. I'm just doing this guy a favor… big guy, one of those, tall, dark, and creepy types… couldn't really turn down his request… but Zack offered to cut down on my hotel expense by letting me stay here so I agreed. "

"Oh…" was all Roxas managed. He stayed silent after the explanation.

"Not much of a talker are you? You're a lot like your brother…"

"Guess not… Not really," Roxas said, lowering his volume as he trailed off.

"Hm?"

"Never mind."

"Okay… Well, not that it's any of my business, but since we've got time to kill, do you mind filling me in on why you came looking for Zack? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Not me… it's my brother."

"Cloud?"

"Yeah… He's gone missing."

"What?! Wait… is that why he dropped his kid off here yesterday? Is something going on between him and Squall? Zack could've sworn there was something going on."

"The guy you mentioned… the 'weird cowboy guy'… he's Squall's ex-boyfriend. I guess, Cloud saw them fooling around yesterday… and he left…"

Axel noticed this must've been hard for the teen to talk about.

"I just… I just want to know if Cloud's okay… I came here to ask Zack if he might know anything. Not for _Squall_… but for me and my brother."

Axel raised an arm to scratch the back of neck. "Wow… Sorry, kid. Wish I could help you there, but I don't know anything about it myself." Axel chuckled softly to himself, warranting a questioning glare from the teen.

"It's not funny."

"No, I'm not laughing at that, sorry! It's just that… I knew Squall as a teenager. He was such a prude back then!"

The teen furrowed his eyebrows. "You're kidding right?"

Axel shook his head. His attempt at lightening up the blonde boy's mood seemed to fall short. "It's true. Look, Roxas… I don't think you don't need to worry so much about your brother. He's a grown man, he can manage on his own for a few days."

"It would make me feel better if I knew something about him."

"Right… guess I'm no help then." Axel let out a small sigh, bummed at his failed attempts to lift the blonde boy's spirits.

Roxas felt a twinge of guilt seeing the red-head's mood drop so suddenly. "Hey… thanks for trying."

When Axel smiled back at him, Roxas couldn't help the peculiar flutter at the bottom of his stomach, and the heat visibly rising in his cheeks.

"Don't mention it, Roxas."

* * *

Riku pulled up at the plaza in one of his family's own luxury cars, gaining the attention from Sora and onlookers alike, who were unaccustomed to seeing such a sight.

"Riku! You made it!" Sora rushed over to his friend's car, as the silver-haired teen stepped out to greet him.

"Well, what'd you expect? I wouldn't bail on you… not after yesterday."

Sora had to stop and check out his friend for a moment. Riku had definitely matured since the last time he saw him. He noticed Riku seemed to have gotten taller, his voice slightly huskier, and his body more built. Even the clothes that he wore were different. Sora still wore clothes that were very childish in comparison to his friend's more sophisticated, urban look. The brunet boy shook his head. "Forget about that. We're cool now."

"Sure. So, what'd you have in mind, Sora?"

* * *

**Sorry for the lateness in updating! Not much action in this chapter as it was sort of a lead-in to the Strife boys' future romances. I'm in the writing mood now, so the next chapter should be up sooner! Thanks for all the support guys, I can't say it enough! As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I'm a tad disappointed the last update didn't attract many new readers. I know it was lacking, so I really hope this one's better. On a happier note, I'd like to thank StillDollDemon for always being there to motivate me! This chapter is dedicated to her! :3 Also, there was a song that inspired me while I was writing, and now I love it dearly because of that. If you're into jrock and visual kei, please check it out! It's called Byakuya by the band MoNoLith.**

**Warning! Giant fluffballs ahead! Huehuehuehue!**

What _did_ Sora have in mind? He hadn't given it much thought, his mind being preoccupied with other things. He supposed they could do anything. Simply being with Riku might take his mind off things.

"Well, I could go for some dinner. I really miss this one place over in Traverse Town," Sora suggested.

"Sure, it's a start. We'll head over to Traverse and go from there."

Once they were situated in Riku's car and on their way to the next town, Sora started to fill his friend in on what had landed his family in the current situation.

"Cloud may not be my favorite person in the world, but even _I'm_ a little worried about him," Riku said when Sora finished his retelling of the events. "He's your brother after all."

"Thanks Riku."

"I bet he just needs some time to cool off. He wouldn't give you guys up so easily."

"Yeah… he'll come back," Sora beamed, returning to his more cheerful nature for the first time today. "Well, you helped me out… now can I do the same for you?"

"Sora, there's nothing more you can do than what you're already doing. I'm happy to just have you as a friend… even though I don't deserve it."

"Aw, come on, Riku! Don't say stuff like that. You're a great friend!"

"Hn. You know better than anyone I've made some terrible choices in the past… a lot of them where ones that had the potential to hurt you pretty badly. That doesn't sound like too great a friend to me."

"You also saved me from something pretty terrible once… and that's something I'll never forget, Riku. How you stood up to your own brothers for me. How does someone go against family, the adults in your life… especially when you're just a kid yourself? You had to be pretty brave, and a pretty great friend to do that. In my eyes… that trumps everything else."

"You really think so?" Riku asked, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to gauge his younger friend.

"Of course," Sora answered sincerely.

Riku turned his gaze back to the road, reflecting on the brunet's words. "I'm very lucky to have you as a friend then," he said at last.

"Same here, Riku."

* * *

At an arcade in Traverse Town, an air hockey machine sent out a loud vibrating buzz, signaling the end of the game.

"Best two out of three!" Sora shouted. Riku had taken the victory this time.

Apparently the silver haired teen had managed to bring out Sora's competitive side.

"Come on, Riku! I'm really feeling it this time!"

"It's getting pretty late Sora."

"So? It's not a school night. And it's not like anyone is expecting me home at certain time… Do you have to go home?"

"You know Sephiroth doesn't give two shits about me staying out late."

"Oh, so you're just afraid I'm gonna beat you, huh!?" Sora teased.

"Not in the least. I'll prove it! Best two out of three!" Riku proceeded to stuff the contents of his wallet into the machine. As it chimed back to life, the two teens took hold of their mallets for a battle of speed and coordination.

* * *

Riku let out a loud curse as the buzzer went off for the final round.

"Seven to three! Haha! Eat that Riku! I knew you were totally deflecting earlier."

Riku rolled his eyes. "You know Sora, gloating is not attractive," he said, sulking playfully.

"Aw, Riku, you love me anyway, right?" Sora said before he realized how it sounded. "I _am_ your best friend," he added so as to make sound less awkward.

Riku smiled, trying to figure out his friend through a sleepy gaze. He brushed it off as Sora just being Sora. "I was just kidding, Sor. Never mind. Looks like we're closing the place down. Let's get out of here." Sora nodded, following Riku out of the arcade.

"Boy, am I exhausted," Riku said as he plopped inside the driver's seat of his car. "I did _not_ get enough rest last night."

"Thinking about Kairi?" Sora asked, taking the passenger seat.

"Kind of… Honestly, I was more worried about losing my friendship with you, than getting dumped by my girlfriend. It was definitely a wake-up call to set me straight on my priorities. I'm gonna have to do a lot of work on myself before I jump into another relationship."

"Right, there's always room for improvements… but in the meanwhile, just remember that I like you, flaws and all…" Perhaps it was the adrenaline running through Sora at the moment, but he had never felt so bold to even hint about his feelings as he was now.

How Sora always managed to have such a strong effect on him, Riku could never figure out. He wasn't complaining. He really _did_ feel lucky to have Sora for a friend. "Thanks… that means a lot coming from you. _Totally sappy_, but heartfelt nonetheless. I feel better about myself already."

That earned him a small laugh from Sora, although, inside, he was terrified if his friend were ever to catch on to his hints.

"So where to now?" Riku asked, starting the car.

"Home?"

"You don't seem too sure about that."

Sora shook his head, "To be honest… that's the last place I wanna go right now."

"I've got a better idea… why don't we stay here tonight?"

"In Traverse Town?"

"Yeah… we could stay at that cool-looking hotel we passed on our way over here," Riku suggested on a whim.

"Okay, sure."

**:o We are progressing slowly but surely! Please stick around to find out what happens next! Another update is on its way! 'Til next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

'_Me and Riku… alone in a hotel room?_' After giving it a second thought, Sora took back his initial agreement. "Actually, I mean… that'd be great and all, but why stay at a hotel when we can just go home?"

"Well for one, I'm not really up for driving to your town, then back to Hollow Bastion right now. And didn't you just say you didn't _want_ to go home?"

Sora was about to protest again, catching himself quickly when he thought about how silly he must sound contradicting himself. '_Ho, man! Why am I even making this an issue!? I'm such a dork! He's my best friend; he's not even remotely interested in me… He just broke up with his girlfriend.. I just need to relax and… make sure I don't say anything stupid again._'

For Sora, that was easier said than done.

Sora reluctantly agreed, "You've got a point there. Okay, let's rest up and head home in the morning or whenever."

"Great, let's go!"

* * *

"Hope there's some vacancies," Riku said as he and Sora entered the hotel.

Seeing the reception booth vacant, Riku tapped a bell to call on the receptionist.

"I don't think it's too big of a travel weekend," Sora suggested.

"That's true… It's just, this town is known for being a hub for travelers; hence the name."

"Oh… gotcha."

"I hear there're some pretty cool rooms here. Each room's got different themes or something," Riku said as they waited for the clerk to appear from somewhere inside the office. "There you are. I need a room with two king beds…"

Sora's attention slowly drifted away from his friend's conversation with the clerk to the décor in hotel lobby. As Sora's eyes absentmindedly scanned the hallway, his thoughts meandered from one place to another. He thought about how stupid he must be for having fallen for his best friend Riku, someone who he felt would never reciprocate his feelings; and then he thought about how he would stand to be alone with him for an entire night.

He wished things were still as simple as they were back when they were small children. No secrets, no jealousy, no sneaking around. No fear. Except of course, of the heartless. Sora closed his eyes, remembering when he lived in Cloud's first apartment and Riku would come over and stay the night. They'd sleep together in his bed after spooking each other with stories of the shadowy creatures.

Sora's mind meandered further, thinking about how his older brother would have a fit if he ever found out who he was spending the night with right now.

"_Sora!_?"

The teen's eyes shot open. Speak of the devil.

Just as Riku was receiving his card-keys to the hotel room, the familiar voice startled him into making a sharp about face.

"Cloud… what're you— I mean, you're okay, you're here!"

Sora went over to his older brother for a quick embrace before Cloud could get a word in.

"Yes, Sora, I'm… I'm alright… But what? What are you doing here? With _him_?"

Sora glanced over at Riku. "We're… just hanging out."

"In a hotel?"

"Hey, before you start grilling Sora, why don't you tell him what _you've_ been up to," Riku asserted, ever the one to defend his best friend. It wasn't like they were doing anything wrong after all. "Sora and his brother have been worried sick about you."

"Shut up, Riku. That's no concern of yours."

"Cloud!"

"What's going on Sora? Have you been keeping in touch with him this entire time? I thought we had an agreement."

"I never agreed to anything, Cloud," Sora answered matter-of-factly. "Why does that matter right now? What about you?"

The blonde shook his head in disbelief. "Unbelievable… I can't trust anyone, can I? You know what? Fine. Do whatever you want, Sora." Cloud turned to leave the establishment.

"Wait, Cloud... That's it? You're just gonna leave again?" Sora called after his brother. "Where are you going? Don't you at least want to know how Denzel's doing? What about Cissnei… and Roxas?"

Cloud stopped at the exit doors, appearing to hesitate for a moment before pushing through them, going back to wherever it was he came from.

"Cloud!" Sora stepped forward about to go after his older brother, when he felt Riku place a concerned hand on his shoulder.

"Let him go, Sora…"

Sora reluctantly backed up, shutting his eyes, not wanting to lose his composure in front of his friend.

Could Cloud really have stopped caring?

"Come on, let's get to our room," Riku said, his hand slipping off Sora's shoulder as he began to lead the way.

The younger teen took a deep breath, following close behind his friend.

* * *

"You okay?"

Sora took his eyes off the ceiling he'd been staring at from where he lay in his bed to look over at the silver-haired teen, the sight that met his eyes briefly taking his mind off of his worries.

Riku had just finished taking a shower and was now drying off his hair in nothing but his underwear.

"I think… I will be," Sora answered, hoping the faint blush creeping up his cheeks didn't give him away. "But… right now, I— I just don't know."

"Kind of feels like everything is falling apart around you?"

"Yeah… Well, not everything. I still have you," Sora said, smiling.

"True… although I almost messed that up for you, too."

Sora let out a small laugh, sitting up on the spacious hotel bed. "I think we're both guilty of that. Anyway, I feel a little better now that I know Cloud is… okay," Sora paused catching himself checking out Riku's lean body as the older boy laid himself on the other bed. "I think I'll take a quick shower before I go to bed." He got up, making a dash for the bathroom. "G'night, Riku."

"'night Sora."

Once he was in the bathroom, Sora mentally beat himself up, feeling like a total pervert for getting worked up over his best friend's body.

* * *

"Where'd _you_ run off to?" Axel asked Zack, as the raven-haired man entered the apartment, grocery bags in tow.

Zack's attention was on the uninvited guest sitting on his living room couch. "Roxas? What're you doing here?"

Roxas stood up. "I came by to ask about you about Cloud… if you've heard from him, or know anything about where he might be."

Zack put down the groceries. "No, I haven't… Why? What's going on?"

"Zack, are you sure? This kid came all the way over here 'cause he's really worried about his big bro. You did rush out of here kind of unexpectedly earlier…"

"Axel, even though you're my friend and I know you wouldn't care either way, I still want to be a good host… I ran out some things that are _kinda_ necessary around here," Zack said picking up a pack of toilet paper rolls among the groceries. "Besides, why would I lie? Especially to Cloud's kid brother?"

"I dunno, maybe Cloud asked you to? I know you'd do _anything_ for _him_."

Zack rolled his eyes at the redhead. "Roxas, what's going on? The last I heard from Cloud was when he came over and dropped Denzel off with me. He didn't tell me what happened, and neither did Squall when he came to pick him up."

Roxas explained his version of the events that had occurred the previous day. He noticed Zack getting visibly upset as he retold the story, a good sign that this was his first time hearing it.

"I knew it! That bastard… I just knew he would do something like that. Cloud's probably wallowing in bottle–" Zack stopped himself from finishing in order to not further upset Roxas, although from the look on the blonde boy's face, he had already gotten the message.

"You really think Cloud is out there drinking over this?"

"I don't know…" Zack took a seat on his coffee table in order to face the blonde boy at eye level. "I mean, I'm just saying, it's not like he hasn't turned to alcohol before… But who knows? Maybe it's different this time."

Roxas averted his gaze, unable to keep eye contact with the raven-haired man.

"Hey… he'll be okay. He's been through worse… Trust me, alright?"

The blonde boy kept silent, contemplating Zack's words.

Zack stood up, looking over at his friend who had been listening silently.

"Do you need a ride home?" Axel offered the teen.

"Yeah… how did you get here, Roxas?" Zack asked.

"I took the train."

"Come on, I'll take you home," Axel offered again.

"It's okay… I'm not going home."

"What?" Both Zack and Axel looked at the teen in surprise.

"It's practically midnight, where does a kid like you go at this hour?" Zack asked.

"You guys were teens once weren't you?"

"Yes, but we were terrible."

"Speak for yourself," Axel said, sending a mock-glare toward his friend. "No, but seriously. A pretty kid like you shouldn't be out on the streets by himself."

"I can take care of myself."

"Roxas, it's not about being able to take care of yourself," Zack argued. "It just isn't out of our way to help you, so let us help you. Let one of us at least take you to wherever you're going… even if it isn't home. We understand."

"Alright. Let me stay here then."

Zack and Axel looked at each other briefly before turning back to the teen. "Okay," Zack agreed reluctantly. "If that's what you want… fine by me. I just hope _Squall_ doesn't show up looking for you. I _really_ don't want to deal with him right now."

* * *

It was decided that Roxas would take Zack's bedroom, as Axel was staying in the guest room, Zack insisting on being a good host and giving up his rooms for his guests, he ended up on the small couch in his living room.

Once Roxas had situated himself in Zack's bedroom, Axel went out to the balcony for a smoke, Zack joining him a moment later.

"Shit's crazy, yo," Zack said as he flopped into a comfortable folding chair on the balcony.

Axel's lips curled up, although he didn't turn from where he leaned on the railing to look at his friend. "You sound like my brother."

Zack rubbed one eye with the back of his hand, evidently tired from the long day. "I feel bad for those kids. All of them…"

"So you really think Cloud's just out there partying?"

"Partying? No, I never said partying. More like wallowing... He drinks whenever things go bad."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah… he did it when Squall left. After high school, he was a complete mess. I was still with Aerith at the time, so our friendship drifted apart for some time; _years_. He told me it wasn't until he decided to take guardianship of his brothers that he finally came around again."

"And why'd he do that? Didn't they have family?

"They did… Their uncle was their guardian. But Cloud had issues with him… Apparently this guy wasn't the greatest parental figure. One day Cloud just decided it was best for his brothers to go live with him."

"So that's why Roxas is so attached to him… he's basically all he has left," Axel said, putting things into perspective. He put out the cigarette he'd been smoking, turning to face his raven-haired friend. "You really have no idea where he could be?"

Zack glared at the redhead. "_No_. I don't. Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Alright, alright! I just thought you might have an idea."

"I mean, he could be at a bar here in Hollow Bastion for all I know."

"That's something to go on."

"Yeah… try going to every bar in this town asking if they've seen a spiky-haired blonde guy… One public school in this entire city, a bar on every corner, remember? Besides, if Cloud doesn't want to be found, he won't be found."

"Well, that's very reassuring. Don't let the kid hear you say that."

"I'm obviously not gonna tell him that… There's just not much we can do, you know?"

Sighing inwardly, Axel shrugged off the thought, deciding it was late enough and bidding his friend a good respite, he retreated back to his room. As he lay trying to fall asleep, he couldn't shake the thoughts of the young teen, how lost and uncertain he seemed to be. He wished there was a way he could make things better for the boy.

**A/N: This was kind of a slower chapter, sorry about that! I'm trying to build up to the juicier parts. Thanks always to all my readers! You're the best! Been lacking motivation lately, I suppose, that's why this one took longer to finish... but I've heard good things from some of you, so that helps. Feedback is always welcome and very much appreciated! 'Til next time :3**


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